Shizu Michi
by Rin-chan2
Summary: "The Silent Road" - Chihiro returns to the spirit world to look for Haku, but meets up with a stranger who claims to know him. They must work together if they wish to see Haku again. ***Chapter two up: Yubaba comes forth and Ryuki gives away her secret.
1. Return

Shizu Michi

Hello and welcome! This is my first anime fic for this site, but I have written many others, so I'm not inexperienced. Please R & R when you're done. *Note: Yes, there will be some Chihiro/Haku, so if you don't like that, then deal.

For everyone else, have fun! I know the beginning is a bit rocky, but it flows it very soon.

^_^

Disclaimer: All this awesome stuff belongs to the very creative Hayao Miyazaki. I want Haku, but I can't have him … 

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The summer breeze rolled gently through the trees and around the hills. Chihiro found it cold for this time of year. Then again, she did get a chill just being around here.

Chihiro, feeling a mysterious urge, had left her house without telling anyone, and wandered all the way down to the forest path, past the little shrines, the big rock sculptures, all the way to the dark tunnel.

She didn't know why, but lately she'd been drawn to the tunnel. She thought it was probably the fact that she missed it, or something to do with it. She quickly dismissed that thought and kept going through the trees, but a nagging remained at the back of her mind.

She had been waiting so long. Almost six months. He had told her he would be out soon, promised her. And it wasn't because he couldn't find her. No, something was wrong in the other world. She was determined to find out what.

Taking a deep breath, Chihiro squeezed her eyes shut and inched toward the tunnel entrance. She took a step in, expecting something to happen. She opened her eyes carefully …

Nothing. She let out her breath and nearly fell over. The tunnel was the same, still dark and foreboding. She gathered her courage once again and began to walk forward. It was still damp and sort of spooky. She could see the lights ahead by the train station entrance. She quickly decided it was time to get out of here and ran the rest of the way out.

     She burst out of the tunnel into the open area of the station and looked around. Chill after chill swept down her spine, making her limbs shake uncontrollably. She began to get the same sickly feeling she had gotten when she first came through, but, swallowing hard, she tried reassuring herself.

       After a moment of standing in the damp air of the station, she walked quickly across the stone floor, past the dripping fountain and the numerous benches, her mouth firmly shut until she reached the fresh air on the other side. There, she collapsed against the wall and took a deep breath of the air. 

"What … ?"

Chihiro held her breath and stood perfectly still. She couldn't hear anything, but drawing a short breath confirmed her suspicion. She could smell something. Something cooking.

    She moved away from the station and began to tread swiftly across the grassy hills towards the smell. She walked as fast as she could, making sure to keep the smell with her; for she feared that if she lost it she would never find her way out.

    Stopping at the top of a hill, Chihiro slumped down and sat on the foliage, feeling drained and uneasy. She had been looking down the whole time, and when she finally looked up the sight took her breath away.

    There it was : the food stands, the pathways, the unlit lights; and over towards the edge of the ensemble of little stands was the massive bath house, also home of Yubaba the witch.

     The something occurred to her. She looked up at the sky. The sun was drifting on the horizon, turning the sky orangey-red, and over in the east, a dark blue.

"Oh-no …"

Chihiro jumped to her feet and sprinted down to where the river rocks where quickly being covered with water. She rushed past the stands, the scent of food killing all her senses, smoke filling in her eyes, making tears roll down her cheeks. But even with her eyes closed she could still sense where she was going, feel the space ahead. 

     She burst out of the narrow streets, coughing painfully. She rubbed her eyes and wiped her cheeks dry, staring at the edge of the world. Her eyes began to cloud over again with water. 

Chihiro gathered herself and rushed down to the shore. What used to be green rolling hills littered with flowers was now an open sea, and coming quickly to shore was a massive ferry, strung with lights and decorations. She knew all to well what was on that ship.

  Feeling panic rise up in her, she rushed behind a shrub of greenery and ducked down, unseen by any type of eyes. Except one.

   Chihiro held her breath, not because she thought it would help but just because she was to scared to breath, let alone move. She began backing away slowly from the site of the disembarking spirits. A tap on the shoulder made her tip over.

"WHAA - ?!"

She fell backwards, nearly knocking over the bending figure that had startled her. She righted herself up and spun around.

            That made her fall over too.

Chihiro stared up at the figure. "Ha … Haku?"

            She gazed up in wonder through blurry eyes. It had to be him; the green eyes, the serious expression, the straight dark hair …

   She jumped up and embraced the figure warmly, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I knew I'd find you," she whispered.

But to her surprise, Haku didn't return the hug. She withdrew her arms, and, rubbing her eyes vigorously, looked at Haku closer.

  Except this wasn't Haku.

  It was a young girl.

Chihiro backed away in shock. Even though this wasn't Haku, the girl could certainly pass for him. She had the same shadowy green eyes, same stern set jaw, and the same hair too, except hers was longer and some of the strands were pulled in braids at the top.

   She wore a grey robe that resembled a kimono, decorated with blue and green leaves. It was similar to those the ladies of the bath house wore, but not exactly. Pulled back over her head was a mask like some of the spirits were wearing. She looked at Chihiro closely.

"Chihiro?"

"Yes …?," Chihiro answered automatically.

The girl nodded. "Come with me."

"Wait!" Chihiro turned back into the fading lights of the ferry. "But … I'm not disappearing!"

The girl took her hand gently, but Chihiro felt that her grip was firm. She examined Chihiro's  hands. "No, you're not. You've been here before."

   It was a statement, not a question, and Chihiro said nothing to her. The girl rose abruptly. "Come with me," she said again. 

"But … who are you?"

Once again, Chihiro was thoroughly ignored.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me who you are."

   The girl turned her piercing gaze on Chihiro, and she suddenly greatly regretted opening her mouth. 

"I suggestion you come with me," the stranger said slowly, "Unless you'd rather be turned into coal and tossed into the boiler room fire?"

 Chihiro cringed at the memory of Yubaba and her numerous threats to transform one's appearance.

"I didn't think so." The girl looked at the bridge. "I assume you've crossed the bridge before?"

Chihiro nodded.

           "Then come." The girl took her mask and slid it over her face. "This time you're finished for sure if you breathe."

Chihiro gulped and stood up slowly. The stranger beckoned to her and led her to the edge of the wooden bridge where the frog-like workers, lanterns in hand, were welcoming the guest. 

   Chihiro instinctively clung to the other girl's arm, but quickly drew away when she realized what she'd done. The girl didn't seem to notice. Either that or she didn't care. 

"Take a deep breath," she whispered. Chihiro was suddenly taken back to the moment when she crossed with Haku. And this girl was so much like him … could she trust her?

     As they neared the bridge, Chihiro took a deep breath and held it tight.

"Ah, welcome! Yes, welcome back! Enjoy your stay!" The voices of the employees drifted closer. The girl passed by them slowly.

"Ah, welcome back, Master Ryuki!" The welcoming committee seemed suddenly greatly excited by the presence of  the girl. Chihiro looked at them nervously. Before they could be stopped by one of them, the girl lost them in a crowd of masked spirits.

   Chihiro felt panic rise in her throat and let out a squeak.

"Just a little further …"

"Master Ryuki!!"

The girl stopped dead in her tracks as a figure jumped in front of her. Chihiro recognized him immediately as one of the head honchos at the bath house, the one who had been swallowed by No-Face.

"Master Ryuki! So good of you to return! Would you be staying in your usual room? Oh yes, and …"

Chihiro couldn't hold it any longer. She gasped and sucked in air frantically, revealing her appearance to everyone.

The employee stopped. "Wha … a human?! And it's …it's her! It's Sen!"

    The frog was suddenly silenced and swung in the air, enveloped by a blue bubble similar to the one Chihiro had seen Haku use. The girl threw her mask back and, grabbing Chihiro by the hand, leaned forward and began running through the crowd. When she got low enough she was suddenly off the ground, gliding swiftly through the mass of spirits, Chihiro hanging desperately by a finger.

   Slipping behind an unoccupied and dimly lit booth, the two of them blew through a door into the cellar, where Chihiro let go of her grip and fell against the cold stone wall.

Chihro, eyes closed and breathing heavily, was dimly aware of a candle being lit and warmth spreading over her face. When she opened her eyes she found the girl was face to face with her, candle floating between them. Her shadowed green eyes bore into Chihiro's soft brown ones. Chihiro shivered at the cold stare.

   She looked away, unable to hold the gaze. Unaware to her, the eyes softened, and were filled with a great pity.

Chihiro turned her gaze around slowly to find the young girl gone. Her heart raced for a moment, thinking that she had left her here, then she saw her shadow move at the end of the room.

"You still haven't told me who you are," Chihiro whispered, her voice barely audible. But the stranger's sharp ears picked it up clearly. " I know," she said, stating the obvious. "You haven't guessed by now?"

Chihiro totally blanked on her statement; but then came back to reality. "Back there. On the bridge. They were calling you Master Ryuki."

"It's who I am," the girl said softly, digging under a cupboard for more candles. An awkward silence followed. Chihiro took the time to consider.

"What you did back at the bridge," she said finally, "I've seen magic like it before. It's similar to what Haku did when I first crossed the bridge with him. You do know him, don't you?"

  The girl looked caught like a deer in headlights for a moment, but then she nodded. "Yes I knew him."

Chihiro suddenly felt a chill. "What do you mean, 'knew him'?"

  The girl called Ryuki met Chihiro's gaze with sad eyes. "I haven't seen Haku in a very long time," she whispered solemnly.

"But you did know him?"

"As a friend. He taught me most of the magic I know; those tricks I used back there, for example."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"I knew that he came here sometimes, and one day he told me he was going, and … I guess he just never came back. I searched for him, but … it was useless. I'm almost positive he's here, but Yubaba's little cronies make sure I stay where they want me to. Sometimes I feel like going up to Yubaba's room and just tearing the place apart …" Chihiro watched her clench and unclench her fists and a swirling wind seemed to rise up from the ground, making her hair flow in every which way. She drew in a deep breath and continued. "… but Yubaba's too strong. I'd never make it up there. She wouldn't let me."

Chihiro sat against the wall staring up at her in wonder. So, she knew Haku as well. Maybe she could help Chihiro find him …

"Back by the shore, you mentioned my name … how did you know who I was?"

Ryuki sighed and managed a small smile for Chihiro. "I know a lot of things, Chihiro-Sen, and I pick up many things from the servants around the bath house. They mentioned a strange human named Sen who had caused a ruckus around the place and even escaped from Yubaba's vice grip, and as for your real name … I could still hear it floating on the wind." 

Chihiro let the other girl's strange word flow through her mind. '_It's so weird,' _Chihiro thought to herself. '_Haku has been here all along, and this girl has been searching for him … how come they never stumbled upon each other? Maybe Yubaba purposely kept them apart …' _ Before she could inquire some more on the subject, her thoughts were interrupted by the sliding of a door. She looked up to find Ryuki inspecting a small entranceway off to the side, hidden in the shadows. 

"Now we need some place for you to stay … preferably away from the bath house … I would keep you here but I suspect someone actually does come down here once in a while, and if you're caught you're finished …" She tried pulling the door shut, but it wouldn't budge anymore. She eventually got fed up and psychically took the thing off its hinges and fitted it in the space. 

Chihiro watch her curiously. She averted her gaze when Ryuki turned around, and went back to thinking about a place to stay. A thought suddenly came to her.

"Rin!" Chihiro said excitedly, remembering one of the girls at the bath house who had taken her in when no one else wanted to (actually Haku had made her take care of Chihiro but they became friends soon enough)

Ryuki turned to face her slowly and raised an eyebrow. "Rin?"

"Yes!" Chihiro said. "She's- ."

"I know who she is," Ryuki interrupted. She looked at Chihiro curiously. "Are you sure you can trust her?"

Chihiro nodded, looking Ryuki straight in the eye with a determined expression.

Ryuki snorted, defeated. "Fine." She turned to look at the door they had come from and held her hand out. It swung open. "We have to do this quickly," she whispered. "And stay in the shadows. The one who saw you earlier; I erased his memory. But if many see you, Yubaba will certainly be after you."

Chihiro swallowed hard and nodded. Ryuki leaned forward and peeked out. They were on the side of the booth; in front of them was a stone wall, and off to the left was the pathway to the main street. Chihiro gripped Ryuki tightly as they slipped out and plunged into the shadows.

Instead of using the street passages, they crawled over the stone wall and made their way around the gardens by the northern shore. It was dark there, and the lanterns were still unlit, so it was easier to move unseen. They went this way until they reached the edge of the bath house.

Chihiro moved away from Ryuki and stepped into the faint moonlight. She looked up along the walls of the temple structure, seemingly looking for something. She finally seemed to spot what she was looking for, and pointed straight up and off towards the right, in the direction of the sea.

"That's it," she said. "That's where Rin is."

Ryuki scanned the structure with expert eyes. Then she carefully made her way down the building, noting every foothold and crack in the tiles.

Chihiro looked at her, the determination fading a bit from her eyes. "But how are we going to get up there?"

   Ryuki managed to look surprised. "Why, we fly, of course."

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So? Did you people like it? And just so you know, no, I don't have bad grammar, I know that females are often addressed as "Mistress" instead of "Master", but in this case it's a proper way of addressing the spirits who visit the bath house. Anyway, I find Master sounds better. Please review when you're done. I feed off your comments and criticism. It's my fuel ^_^ I know the paragraph lining isn't that good, but I'll fix it.

Ryuki: Literally means "Snowy Spirit".   (I don't even know _why _I chose that name, but I guess it kinda fits …. You'll see what I mean later in the story.) 

Chapter 2 coming soon!


	2. Secret

Shizu Michi 

Hello and welcome to chapter two of Shizu Michi, the Silent Road. I'm writing this chapter now with the Spirited away soundtrack going on in the background, so I'm totally "in the zone" ^_^ Oh yes, and sentences in italics are thoughts the characters are thinking.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this (except Ryuki, she's my room mate. She's very nice, but way too serious) ^_^

Chapter 2 

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Chihiro stared blankly at Ryuki.

   _ Fly?_

Ryuki put her hands on her hips and suddenly got a very fake-serious expression. "Yes, fly; what, would you rather take the expressway up? Or maybe the elevator? I'm sure Yubaba would welcome you."

   Chihiro cringed; she could tell that Ryuki was forgiving but slightly annoyed with her.

   "Sorry."

Ryuki once again examined the outside of the structure. "Okay. We're going to try and do this as fast as possible, because as soon as we hit the 4th floor there, we're in the light. I'll aim to keep close to the wall, but it may be difficult, seeing as though I must carry you." She ran her hands over the wall. "And try not to kick the wall," she added. "You'll make me lose my balance."

   The tone in her voice made Chihiro shiver, but she told herself to be brave. She didn't know exactly how it was going to work, but considering what Ryuki was doing for her, she had come to trust the other girl. 

   Ryuki gestured for Chihiro to come stand next to her. She stood stiffly in front of the wall, eyes closed. Chihiro approached her carefully, trying not to make a sound, just to see Ryuki's reaction.

   "I know what you're doing." At Ryuki's abrupt comment Chihiro stopped in her tracks. "I can see even with my eyes close. You, on the other hand, you _look_, but you don't _see_. Now come stand next to me before we're caught."

   Sheepishly, Chihiro positioned herself next to Ryuki and tried to remain as stiff as possible, but her hands still shook. She rubbed them quickly and put them back at her side.

    As she did that, she suddenly felt Ryuki's strong grip around her arm. Before she knew what was happening, Ryuki and jumped, no, _leaped _ from the ground and was soaring the air. Chihiro felt her stomach flip as she looked down. She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling weak. 

   She almost yelled out when she felt Ryuki begin to fall. She squirmed for a moment, but then remembered Ryuki's warning. "_You'll make me lose my balance…_" Chihiro didn't want to find out the consequences of those actions.

  She placed herself straight and hung on to Ryuki for dear life.

To her surprise, Ryuki immediately lost her rigid stance and bent her knees forward, using the momentum to draw them closer to the wall. Chihiro opened an eye to find the wall rushing towards them at impossible speeds.__

   As the wall came forward, Ryuki changed position again, sticking her foot out. She caught her first foothold easily, and remained there for a split second.

  _ Okay, the hard parts over. Now to pick up on the rest _…__

Coiling her leg muscles and bending her knees, Ryuki gathered the remainder of her momentum and used it to power herself up. She caught her next hold easily, and moved swiftly to the next. As she moved higher, she kept using her feet lightly, catching as much air as she could for the grand finale.

  After three more short jumps they reached the fourth floor. The lanterns were lit brightly, and through the curtains Ryuki could see the people bustling around busily inside. She swerved off to the right, as far away from the window as possible, to the edge of the wall were there were no footholds.

   She landed at the far edge of the balcony railing and raced across it. Reaching the edge, she bent as low as her knees would allow, and soared up along the edge of the structure. Her foot touched the wall, but it was flat. She would either slip or lose her grip, or, if she was fast enough, run up the wall itself with all that force she had saved up, plus a hint of magic.

  Moving as fast as her feet would carry her and Chihiro, Ryuki zoomed across the wall, zigzagging to keep a steady rhythm. She took her gaze off her feet for a moment to look up at the 6th floor, coming up fast, and steadied herself for the final jump. 

   Then it went wrong.

A large black bird with a cruel hooked beak and uncommonly large talons soared out of the window of the rooftop chamber. 

    _What ?!_

The bird looked down at them, or at Ryuki at least, and somehow an evil grin spread over its features. It turned swiftly back to the window.

   Ryuki, rhythm and balance now lost, began to tip backwards.

   _I have to get her up there _…__

With one final pull of strength, Ryuki made a 360 degree turn, letting go of Chihiro's hand, enabling her swing to the nearest balcony railing, which happened to be by some universal chance Rin's room.

Chihiro, acting on pure instinct, reached a hand out and grabbed the rail. Ryuki's swing was strong, so she pulled her legs over, falling hard on the stone floor. Ryuki herself, however, wasn't so lucky. As Chihiro glanced through the handrail bars, she caught a glimpse of Ryuki plummeting backwards.

    "_Ryuki!"_

But Ryuki wasn't about to give up. As she fell, she summoned up the last ounce of magic within her. The power of transformation.

   And before Chihiro's eyes, Ryuki began to change.

Her figure shimmered, almost like a hologram or a movie picture. For a second she had no shape at all, just a twisting figure of white light, but then out of that radiant glow a different kind of being burst skyward.

   _Ryuki's a dragon_…_?!_

Ryuki's long form twisted around and floated upright, staring hard with dark emerald eyes at the window of the top chamber. A fine sheet of silvery-white fur covered her body, and along her underneath, from her throat to the end of her tail, she was covered in pearly scales. A billowing blue-grey mane swirled and whipped in different directions in the strong wind. And protruding from her forehead were two dangerous, razor-sharp ivory horns.

   _She looks so much like Haku_ …

   The dragon spread out her claws and flew up to the rooftop, above Chihiro. Chihiro leaned over the railing trying to get a glimpse of her, but saw nothing. All of a sudden Ryuki's lithe form swooped back into view, recoiling from what Chihiro suspected was a physical blow.

   Ryuki flew back and forth around the summit of the bath house. Then Chihiro saw something that would be burned into her memories forever.

 Ropes, no, _worms, _or creatures of some sort, came shooting out from the crown of the building and began to wrap themselves around Ryuki, binding her arms and hind legs. She lashed out with her tail and roared with pain. The rope-like things were burning her fur and scales.

   Chihiro tried to cry out but found she couldn't say anything. She could only stand and watch as Ryuki clawed and bit viciously at the ropes. At one point she raised her head and howled piercingly, the cords burning the inside of her mouth.

   "Well, well, looks like we've caught ourselves an unhappy customer."

Chihiro immediately recognized the sneering voice as that of the greedy witch Yubaba. She came into view, floating above Chihiro, face to face with Ryuki, a malevolent glint in her eyes and a conniving grin planted on her features. She glared at Ryuki.  

   "Still looking for your poor lost brother?"

   _Brother?   _

"Well I'm disappointed to say you won't find him here," the witch continued. "He left a long time ago. But you don't give up easily, do you?" Her expression suddenly changed, and her voice grew full of hate. "You pitiful creature. I should have killed you when I had the chance. Crushed you in my grip …" Yubaba clenched her teeth. "I think it's time I finally dispose of you." She rose her hands and began curling her fingers, one by one. As she did so, the ropes around Ryuki tightened.

   Ryuki roared again, and within her jaws a greenish glow appeared. It sparkled and turned into a golden orb. The roped began to loosen as Yubaba backed away.

   "Oh-no."

   The beam of light shot from Ryuki's mouth straight at Yubaba, who barely made it inside her chamber. The blast hit the doorway and the glass shattered, the shards spraying over the northern end of the structure like knives. Chihiro had to duck down in a corner to avoid being torn apart.

   Ryuki withstood the raining glass but the damage was still great. She was bleeding heavily from her muzzle and chest, and also from inside her mouth. Her left eye was almost blind, a piece of glass sticking out of the end. The beam of light dissolved, leaving her floating in the air helplessly; but she was free. When Yubaba had run back into her chamber and closed the glass panel behind her, the burning wires had been severed. They fell away from Ryuki, now mere pieces of rope.

   Chihiro uncurled from her protective ball as the rain of glass subsided. She looked up to find the dragon freed but terribly hurt. Yubaba and her bird were nowhere in sight.

   Chihiro watched as Ryuki turned away from the bath house and flew towards the sea. Her sleek form slid into the water, and Chihiro could see no more.

   "Sen?"

   Chihiro spun around to find none other tan a sleepy-looking Rin at the balcony doorway. She rubbed her eyes and stared closely at Chihiro.

   "Sen! It _is _you!"

   Rin rushed over to Chihiro and flung her arms around the girl. "You're back! But … why?"

   Chihiro was dimly aware of Rin's presence. All her thoughts were focused on the sea. She barely heard Rin's question.

   "Sen?" Rin looked at her with a concerned expression. "What's going on? Talk to me here!" She shook Chihiro's shoulder.

   "I came back," Chihiro whispered, "to look for Haku."

   "Huh?" Rin looked at her quizzically. "Haku? He's been gone for a long time. No one's seen him for months. Yubaba said he went back to the human world."

   Chihiro shook her head. "Yubaba's lying."

   Rin looked at the girl as if she was sick. "Well, you better come in and tell me the whole story. Hurry up, or we'll be seen out here. I wouldn't be surprised if this whole place is swarming with Yubaba's servants by morning after all the commotion you caused."

   Rin took her into the room and sat her down on one of the blankets while she lit a lantern.

   "Where are the others?" Chihiro asked.

   "On night shift," Rin answered, setting the lantern down gently on the dresser. "If Misao hadn't taken my turn, I wouldn't be up here getting the sleep I deserve."

   Before she could continue, there was a bang at the sliding balcony doors, and a thud. 

   "Hide!"

   Chihiro burrowed under the many piles of blankets and lay perfectly still. Rin got up and approached the door slowly. Whoever it was they were on the other side of the wooden entranceway, so she couldn't see who.

   "Careful, Rin." Chihiro warned from her little tent. Rin didn't answer, but opened the door slowly. There was another thud and a shout from Rin.

   Chihiro threw off the covers at got up. There, lying on the floor in a bloody heap, was Ryuki, still in her dragon form.

   Rin backed away slowly as Chihiro ran up to the figure. She was unconscious but still breathing. Chihiro cautiously laid a hand on Ryuki's mane. Her image began to shimmer. A split-second later a battered-looking Ryuki was laying on the floor in her original form.

   Rin looked over Chihiro's shoulder. "Is that Haku?"

   Chihiro shook her head. "Help me."

   Rin looked stunned for a moment but then saw what Chihiro meant. Holding on to Ryuki's arms and legs, they dragged her over to a bundle of blankets and laid her down gently.

   Chihiro and Rin sat back, breathing hard. Rin looked over at Chihiro and cracked a smile. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, Sen."

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So? What did you think? Please review! I know this chapter isn't as long as the other, but I had to write it quickly, since I wanted to upload it before I went away. I'm going away for a few days so there won't be an update for a while, but never fear! I'll continue ^_^

Rin-Chan


	3. Revelations

Shizu Michi 

Woo, I'm finally back from holiday and I finally get to continue! I've been searching around a bit, looking at reviews and stories, and I find a lot of people get confused with "Rin" being "Lin" or whatever. Well, I've looked it up and it appears that Rin is the real Japanese original name, but I think they might have switched it around a bit for the English version. It's just a theory. ^_^  And I read in a review that someone said I had pretty much copied the whole first scene of the movie. Well, that's partially true, and it was intended. I had to get the thing flowing and establish some points. All for the good of comprehension! 

Oh yeah, and guess what everybody : Aurani thinks this is a Mary-Sue! She thinks Ryuki reeks of Mary-sue. I nearly fell over with disbelief when I read that in the review section. She thinks _every _Spirited Away girl is a Mary-Sue. Most of them aren't. I mean, look at Ryuki : she's no Mary-sue. She can't be in love with Haku, that's for sure ^_^;

Disclaimer: I bought Haku so he could give Aurani a thrashing (no, just kidding, I'm way nicer than that, and Haku is still free in the wild. So I'll be merciful for now.)

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Chapter 3

_~ Haku, where are you going?_

_I've told you a million times;  is everything I do your affair?_

_Well, as a matter of fact, yes, it _is _my affair. I warned you about that. It's … well, never mind._

_What?_

_Well … I don't like that place. The witch …Yubaba …I don't trust her._

_She seems civilized enough to run a bath house._

_Will you stop mocking me?_

_Not until you treat me like an equal._

_Fine! Just don't be gone too long._

_                                    *          *          *_

_So, you haven't seen him at all?_

_No, dear, I would tell you if I would, wouldn't I?_

_Well, yes … you're sure?_

_Of course._

_Alright … but you will tell me if you see him, right?_

_You have my word, dear._

_Fair enough. I apologize for wasting your time, Yubaba-sama._

_Not at all. Come back soon._

_                                    *          *          *_

_He's gone._

_I'm sorry –_

_It's your fault._

_It was an accident, I didn't mean to –_

_But you can't help it, can you?_

_He's not lost, there's still time, I can find him –_

_Time? What time do you think we have, Rei-Yuki? You lost him. _

_I-_

_By letting him go you have betrayed the River. Betrayed all of us._

_I want nothing more to do with you!_

_ You cannot escape it._

_No!_

_Kohaku is dead because of you. You've killed your own brother!_

   "No!"

   Ryuki's eyes shot open, their eerie green glow bouncing off the ceiling. She blinked rapidly, and the light subsided. She felt around her; the robe she was wearing was soaked, as were the sheets under her. Her brow and cheeks were hot with perspiration.

   _Where am I?_

   She tore her gaze from the ceiling and looked around. There was nothing to see though, her eyes were still covered with a sleepy haze. She closed them, trying to rub off the fresh, burning memory of the dream. It had been coming more frequently now, more vividly. She could remember everything so clearly as if it had happened yesterday. In truth it had been a long time.

   It always started with the parting. Haku leaving the River, having a disagreement with her. Her reluctance to let him go. Her suspicion of the witch and her magic.

   Then the search. The search that had led her over the globe. Even to the witch's territory, where she had sent Ryuki away, even more puzzled than before.

   Then the council. That part was always the worst. The memory was fresh, she remembered every word. They wouldn't let her talk, just accused her and accused her. The Great Spirit had even called her by her true title so bluntly, it was a great insult. But then again it was banishment. She thought she could make them understand, give her a chance to look harder. But they exiled her without question. The good thing was that not many others knew, so she was still permitted entrance to the bath house. But now … now she had been chased out of one world and was being hunted in the other.

   She summoned up all the physical strength in her body and rolled over. Then, with an even greater effort, leaned forward and propped herself on her elbows. The haze was gone now, she could see the room clearly.

   Lying not to far away was the chambermaid she knew as Rin, breathing slowly and peacefully, fast asleep. Sitting on the edge of the balcony, legs dangling free into space, was Chihiro.

   Making as little noise as possible, which wasn't that hard for the spirit, Ryuki crept over to where Chihiro was. She scooted up next to her and sat cross-legged, chin in the palm of her hands. It was only until she sighed heavily that Chihiro noticed her presence.

   "Oh, Ryuki, you're awake!" She spun around and looked at Ryuki, from her dim green eyes and the bruises on her cheek to the torn and soaked robe. Concluding that she was still a good deal alive, Chihiro gave her an awkward hug from the side. Ryuki winced a bit, but smiled.

   Chihiro let go, but then got a sort of discomforted look. She looked down at the floor hard, then back at Ryuki.

   "You weren't telling me the whole truth, were you? You're more than you seem."

    Ryuki smiled amiably. "Clever girl. No, you're right, I wasn't telling the truth, and I at least owe it to you." She looked out through the railing. "I'm not exactly a friend of Haku's, but … well, I'm his sister."

    There was a kind of astonishment in Chihiro's eyes, but she nodded gravely, as if she understood and had suspected that the whole time.

    "And like Haku, I'm a spirit. A storm spirit, actually, the god of the summit of Mount Fuji. I rule over the winter storms and snowfall. Well, I used to." There was pain in her eyes now, the green light growing dimmer. "One day I let Haku go off on his own … it's not a safe world out there for spirits … and … he never came back. " She shuddered, an unspoken thought going through her mind. "I looked everywhere for him, but with no luck. His absence at the River made it weak and drained, the water no longer pure, until it was swept away and destroyed by humans. The spirits banished me, and now I live in exile, still searching for Haku."

   Chihiro looked down and tried to search for the right words, but couldn't find any. There were no words for this. Ryuki had lost her brother and her place in the world of gods. And if Ryuki couldn't find her brother, it meant that Chihiro had lost a very dear friend.

   "But I'm convinced that he's here," Ryuki said, a little bit of the green fire coming back into her eyes. "I'll never stop searching. Yubaba will have to kill me first."

    Chihiro watched with wonder as the spirit's face suddenly flushed, and the eyes turned from pale green to a fiery emerald, burning with determination. And somehow, watching the confidence rise within Ryuki, Chihiro felt hope build in her heart.

    "We start our search before dawn." Ryuki looked at Chihiro. "Are you with me?"

    Chihiro nodded, suddenly feeling excited.

    "Good. We should start with the most obvious place: Yubaba's chambers."

    Chihiro thought about this. "But now that she knows you're here, wouldn't she expect you to go there, and so bring him somewhere else?"

    Ryuki looked at her, a fair amount of surprise and respect written on her features. "You _are_ a clever girl. Maybe you're right. And then again, she might have delayed it, thinking I'm too wounded …" She considered this new possibility. "Well, you might as well get some rest for the moment. I want to be out of here before the sun touches the horizon."

    Chihiro nodded and crawled back over to where Rin was. She buried herself deep within the covers and let her thoughts drift away. 

    _Maybe there's hope … _and her mind fell into darkness.

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*Yawn* I'm so tired. I started this chapter at 8:00 PM and it's now 9:30 and I have school tomorrow! Curses! Oh well, another day, another chapter! I know it's kind of short, but, whatever.

Please Review!

Rin-chan 


	4. Fear

Shizu Michi

I'm sorry I haven't updated in _years_, but I've never been so SWAMPED with LIFE as I am now. I know this chapter is kind of short compared to what I normally write, but there's a lot to do and I'm also writing about 5 other stories at the same time here. But I've resolved to get all the stories I have finished by Christmas holidays when I have free time so I can start on new things. I already now how this is going to end.

For now, enjoy.

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   Chihiro resurfaced from her dark dreams to find Ryuki bent over her and shaking her gently. Chihiro, feeling as if someone was trying to wake her up for school, rolled over and burrowed deeper under the covers. Ryuki, feeling impatient, which was unusual for the normally calm spirit, lifted the blankets off  Chihiro using her mind, and tossed them across the room onto a still sleeping Rin. Now thoroughly roused, Chihiro got up, grumbling inaudibly. A second later she realized what was going on, and quickly shut up, looking to Ryuki expectantly. 

   "Where to first?" she asked, yawning.

   Ryuki, who had begun pacing, stopped to look at Chihiro. "Yubaba sometimes goes downstairs to take care of business, right?"

   Chihiro thought a moment, then nodded. "I guess."

   "Right then, first stop, Yubaba's chambers."

   "I could go to the main area first to check."

   Ryuki and Chihiro turned at the sound of the voice to find Rin standing by the door, fully clothed. There was a hint of fear and apprehension in her eyes, but she looked ready to do anything.

   "I can always ask around if anyone knows."

   Ryuki shook her head. "Too suspicious. I would recommend that you go to the bottom of the stairs and just have a quick look around. Only if you're willing to, though. We could just go up and deal with it whether Yubaba is here or not."

   Rin looked as if she was ready to grab Ryuki's safety hammock for a moment, but shook her head. "No. I want to help."

   "Fine."

   Without another word, Rin disappeared.

   Chihiro watch her go with worry growing in her heart, and turned to ask Ryuki if she'd be alright, when a gust of wind suddenly swept away, nearly throwing Chihiro off her feet. She regained her balance and turned around to find Ryuki in her dragon form. The wooden sliding door to the balcony had been opened.

   _"Come."_

    Chihiro just stood there, shocked. The voice had been Ryuki's, she was sure of that, but it hadn't been spoken.

    The voice was in her head.

    The dragon nodded again, its motions abrupt and impatient. It took Chihiro a moment to recover from the shock and shake herself back into the real world. She looked back to the door from where Rin had just exited, ready to risk her life for the cause.

   Chihiro hesitated. "But … what about Rin?"

    Ryuki growled. _"We cannot wait this out any longer. They are coming."_

    Suddenly a shrill scream rang down the hallways of the bath house, and everything grew silent. No one moved, and no one breathed. Then a soft murmur swept through the entire place, a name passed along from worker to worker. The first victim had been taken, and the voice matched with its owner.

    "Rin!" Chihiro cried, running to the door. 

    Ryuki leaped in front of her and snarled menacingly. Chihiro was taken aback and took a step rearward. Her eyes fell to the dragon's bared teeth, wet and glistening in the dim light. She suddenly realized that she had never been so frightened in her life.

   "_No,_" Ryuki hissed, her eyes fixed on Chihiro. "_If you leave this room you will be taken as well. We cannot help Rin now, but maybe we can get up to Yubaba's room in  time. But I promise, we will come back for Rin."_

Chihiro looked uncertainly at the spirit, and Ryuki saw it immediately. She growled and brought her massive muzzle up close to Chihiro. Chihiro could feel the dragons hot breath in her face. 

_  "I came here looking for my brother," _Ryuki said, her jade eyes never leaving Chihiro's. _"hoping that somehow, if I found him and brought him back, then maybe I would be accepted once again to rule with the spirits. I came, but instead I found you, and found that we were looking for the same thing. When I thought about it I realized that if anyone could help me, it would be you, Chihiro. You love Haku, love him like a brother, as I do, so does that not make us sisters? Then come, sister, let us search for him together."_

Chihiro just stood there, dumbfounded, and as her mind began to drift around reality, she found herself slowly walking towards the spirit and mounting on her back. Then, Ryuki lifted off and Chihiro found herself floating high above the earth, flying as if in a dream.

Aww, evidence of sap, sticky, icky sap, but you can't have a decently spread story without some sap somewhere in the middle. More action coming up next chapter, like BIG action, and then a bit more icky sticky sap at the end.


	5. Authors Note

NOTE TO READERS:  
  
I know I have not updated in centuries, but I have reasons. I've been very busy and I don't have as much time as I used to for writing. I also have other stories (which aren't on this site) which need to be finished as well. I have decided to put away time during the Christmas holidays to finish ALL my stories. So be patient. There may be one or even two more chapters coming before then.  
  
Rin-chan 


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